KNIT STARS BLOG!

šŸ§¶ Nothing in the way

The funniest thing happened this past week, and I think it might hold a valuable little nugget for you. I took Charles Barkley out on an early morning beach walk like we usually do. Itā€™s his favorite part of the day. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the early morning and late afternoon. So…
Read More

šŸ§¶The Sunday Yarn: Mattieā€™s Story

Last week I talked about a rollercoaster of emotions, but that was nothing compared with this past week. Wherever you may live in the world, and whatever your beliefs, no doubt you have felt the intensity of emotions in the wake of the US elections. So in this weekā€™s Sunday read, I would like to…
Read More

šŸ§¶Cā€™mon take a ride with me

On our first beach walk after flying back from Tulsa, Charlie just sat and watched the sunset. Howā€™s your week been? For me itā€™s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. šŸŽ¢ The day after I flew back home to Florida from Rhinebeck, I hopped on another plane to Tulsa, where my dad had just…
Read More

šŸ§¶How to take a compliment

My whole life, Iā€™ve struggled with compliments. Not the giving part (I love love love making others feel good), but the accepting part. And to get really vulnerable for a minuteā€¦Iā€™ve spent a lot of time in therapy over the years trying to understand why. My therapist has a couple strong theories, going back to…
Read More

šŸ§¶The most important one

This feels like the most important newsletter Iā€™ve written all year. I really want to get it rightā€¦for you to feel whatā€™s in my heart and for it to touch your own heart, deeply. So here goesā€¦ (deep breath)… This past week I met with some dear friends from around the world. We are a…
Read More

šŸ§¶The no that launched thousands of yeses

Pull up a chair and get comfy, because this week I have a little longer yarn that Iā€™ve never shared publicly before. When was the last time you had to build up your courage for weeks to ask something of someone you really admired, and they told you no? Or even worse, just ignored you?…
Read More

šŸ§¶Revive your whole wardrobe

Happy Sunday! Is there one compliment you love getting more than any other kind? Over the past 9 years of producing Knit Stars Masterclasses, thereā€™s one customer comment thatā€™s my absolute favorite to readā€¦ ā€œThis workshop alone was worth the price of admission for the whole Season!ā€ And of course I feel that way about…
Read More

šŸ§¶Is this a “crazy” idea?

This week, letā€™s talk a bit about ā€œcrazyā€ ideas. Knit Stars Season 5 was the high Season of COVID. I had planned the ultimate travel bucket list year, with plans to film in Australia, Japan, Mallorca, Copenhagen and points all across North America. It all fell away in a heartbeat as all the countries closed.…
Read More

šŸ§¶Join the inner circle

You know how last week I talked about dissolving the ā€œnotsā€ in our knitting? Well this week, itā€™s confession time. Because there was an insidious ā€œnotā€ that ensnared my first couple decades as a maker. I was NOT going to touch circular knitting! I made dozens of adult and baby sweaters, all seamed. I was…
Read More

šŸ§¶Goodbye, nots!

Lately Iā€™ve been doing some deep thinking – about knots. Youā€™re a Yarnie, so you know the feeling. Youā€™re flowing along in the zone on your project, and all of a sudden you hit a dreaded knot. You have to stop, decide whether it can be undone or cut, leaving two more ends to weave…
Read More

šŸ§¶Your next capsule wardrobe

Itā€™s that time of year when my WIPs begin that eternal battle with one anotherā€¦ Crank out one more crochet crop for those last dog days of summerā€¦Or cast on a new knit sweater in fall hues??? Right now for me, the latter is winning out – especially after I took a peek at the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Do you wanna go faster? šŸŽ¢

The year was circa 1978. It was my first time visiting Bellā€™s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was nervous to ride Zingo, the big wooden roller coaster. So I decided to work up my courage on an easier ride first. ā€œThe Himalayaā€ was one of those rides where the cars fly around in a…
Read More

šŸ§¶A different kind of love story

Iā€™ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. Our first pup as a young family was Lucy the Lhasa Apso. Longtime readers will remember my beloved Purl, who survived a horrific attack and went on to grace our home with so much love, wiggles and furry hugs, that before we knew…
Read More

šŸ§¶What a surprise!

Striking my best Olympic pose after finishing my new crochet top! Hey there, If youā€™re like me, now that the Olympics is over, youā€™re looking for your next escape. Iā€™ve been thinking, and itā€™s occurred to me that every Knit Stars Masterclass is like three of my favorite escapes, all rolled into one. Thereā€™s the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Turn stash into kindness

Dear reader, this week Iā€™d like to introduce you to a real life Soap Star. šŸ¤© Stacy Wiener is the founder of S.A.C.K. – Supporting A Community with Kindness. She was nominated by TWO of our Yarniverse members to be a Rising Star – and in the exact same month that I found out about…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Get to know Emma

I first saw Emma Fassioā€™s name many years ago, on a pattern my friend Gina Hills was working on. Many of you might remember Gina, a manager at our Loops stores for more than a decade. Gina was (still is) a style inspiration of mine, a big fan of iconic Italian fashion houses like Missoni.…
Read More

šŸ§¶Catching the Doodle bug

Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. ā€œWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More

šŸ§¶Something new is bloomingā€¦

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youā€™re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youā€™re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More

šŸ§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā€¦

TW: ThisĀ weekā€™sĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā  ā€œI had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.ā€ These are the wise words of…
Read More

šŸ§¶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, Howā€™s it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means Iā€™m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Nothing in the way

The funniest thing happened this past week, and I think it might hold a valuable little nugget for you. I took Charles Barkley out on an early morning beach walk like we usually do. Itā€™s his favorite part of the day. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the early morning and late afternoon. So…
Read More

šŸ§¶The Sunday Yarn: Mattieā€™s Story

Last week I talked about a rollercoaster of emotions, but that was nothing compared with this past week. Wherever you may live in the world, and whatever your beliefs, no doubt you have felt the intensity of emotions in the wake of the US elections. So in this weekā€™s Sunday read, I would like to…
Read More

šŸ§¶Cā€™mon take a ride with me

On our first beach walk after flying back from Tulsa, Charlie just sat and watched the sunset. Howā€™s your week been? For me itā€™s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. šŸŽ¢ The day after I flew back home to Florida from Rhinebeck, I hopped on another plane to Tulsa, where my dad had just…
Read More

šŸ§¶How to take a compliment

My whole life, Iā€™ve struggled with compliments. Not the giving part (I love love love making others feel good), but the accepting part. And to get really vulnerable for a minuteā€¦Iā€™ve spent a lot of time in therapy over the years trying to understand why. My therapist has a couple strong theories, going back to…
Read More

šŸ§¶The most important one

This feels like the most important newsletter Iā€™ve written all year. I really want to get it rightā€¦for you to feel whatā€™s in my heart and for it to touch your own heart, deeply. So here goesā€¦ (deep breath)… This past week I met with some dear friends from around the world. We are a…
Read More

šŸ§¶The no that launched thousands of yeses

Pull up a chair and get comfy, because this week I have a little longer yarn that Iā€™ve never shared publicly before. When was the last time you had to build up your courage for weeks to ask something of someone you really admired, and they told you no? Or even worse, just ignored you?…
Read More

šŸ§¶Revive your whole wardrobe

Happy Sunday! Is there one compliment you love getting more than any other kind? Over the past 9 years of producing Knit Stars Masterclasses, thereā€™s one customer comment thatā€™s my absolute favorite to readā€¦ ā€œThis workshop alone was worth the price of admission for the whole Season!ā€ And of course I feel that way about…
Read More

šŸ§¶Is this a “crazy” idea?

This week, letā€™s talk a bit about ā€œcrazyā€ ideas. Knit Stars Season 5 was the high Season of COVID. I had planned the ultimate travel bucket list year, with plans to film in Australia, Japan, Mallorca, Copenhagen and points all across North America. It all fell away in a heartbeat as all the countries closed.…
Read More

šŸ§¶Join the inner circle

You know how last week I talked about dissolving the ā€œnotsā€ in our knitting? Well this week, itā€™s confession time. Because there was an insidious ā€œnotā€ that ensnared my first couple decades as a maker. I was NOT going to touch circular knitting! I made dozens of adult and baby sweaters, all seamed. I was…
Read More

šŸ§¶Goodbye, nots!

Lately Iā€™ve been doing some deep thinking – about knots. Youā€™re a Yarnie, so you know the feeling. Youā€™re flowing along in the zone on your project, and all of a sudden you hit a dreaded knot. You have to stop, decide whether it can be undone or cut, leaving two more ends to weave…
Read More

šŸ§¶Your next capsule wardrobe

Itā€™s that time of year when my WIPs begin that eternal battle with one anotherā€¦ Crank out one more crochet crop for those last dog days of summerā€¦Or cast on a new knit sweater in fall hues??? Right now for me, the latter is winning out – especially after I took a peek at the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Do you wanna go faster? šŸŽ¢

The year was circa 1978. It was my first time visiting Bellā€™s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was nervous to ride Zingo, the big wooden roller coaster. So I decided to work up my courage on an easier ride first. ā€œThe Himalayaā€ was one of those rides where the cars fly around in a…
Read More

šŸ§¶A different kind of love story

Iā€™ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. Our first pup as a young family was Lucy the Lhasa Apso. Longtime readers will remember my beloved Purl, who survived a horrific attack and went on to grace our home with so much love, wiggles and furry hugs, that before we knew…
Read More

šŸ§¶What a surprise!

Striking my best Olympic pose after finishing my new crochet top! Hey there, If youā€™re like me, now that the Olympics is over, youā€™re looking for your next escape. Iā€™ve been thinking, and itā€™s occurred to me that every Knit Stars Masterclass is like three of my favorite escapes, all rolled into one. Thereā€™s the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Turn stash into kindness

Dear reader, this week Iā€™d like to introduce you to a real life Soap Star. šŸ¤© Stacy Wiener is the founder of S.A.C.K. – Supporting A Community with Kindness. She was nominated by TWO of our Yarniverse members to be a Rising Star – and in the exact same month that I found out about…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Get to know Emma

I first saw Emma Fassioā€™s name many years ago, on a pattern my friend Gina Hills was working on. Many of you might remember Gina, a manager at our Loops stores for more than a decade. Gina was (still is) a style inspiration of mine, a big fan of iconic Italian fashion houses like Missoni.…
Read More

šŸ§¶Catching the Doodle bug

Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. ā€œWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More

šŸ§¶Something new is bloomingā€¦

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youā€™re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youā€™re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More

šŸ§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā€¦

TW: ThisĀ weekā€™sĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā  ā€œI had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.ā€ These are the wise words of…
Read More

šŸ§¶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, Howā€™s it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means Iā€™m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

Posts

šŸ§¶A Sunnie takeover šŸŒž

This week, Sunnie – our intrepid Project Manager – takes a turn at authoring the newsletter. We hope you love and appreciate her high-energy vibes as much as we do around here! – xoxo Shelley Is your list of places youā€™d like to travel as long as your pattern queue? Mine certainly is. I absolutely…
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šŸ§¶Simpler, and simpler still

How complicated is your life right now? ā€¦and how about your knitting? Personally, Iā€™ve found that when my life gets more complex, my knitting has to get simpler. Itā€™s like a seesaw. When one end is up, the other has to go down. Over the past few months, Iā€™ve traveled to film in 5 countries,…
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šŸ§¶Ready, Setā€¦start!

Today Iā€™ve got something completely new for youā€¦ And itā€™s been 17 years in the making. Back when I opened my first yarn shop in 2005, I had a famous visitor one day. Jeanne Tripplehorn, the Tulsa-girl-turned-Hollywood-film-actress, walked into my shop. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was a knitter! Jeanne had seen…
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šŸ¤ A very personal bind-off

This weekā€™s newsletter is a hard one to write, and yet I write it with so much joy in my heart. The same kind of joy that happens when youā€™ve been working on a beautiful project for years, and it finally comes time to bind off. As I write this, Iā€™m in the final stages…
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šŸ§¶How can one row look this good? šŸ‘€

Believe it or not, this scarf is a 1-row repeat. šŸ¤Æ When I read that, I honestly didnā€™t quite believe it. But itā€™s true. This pattern called SƘLV by Season 3 Knit Star Cecelia Campochiaro is a one-row pattern repeated over and over, except for the increases and decreases at the ends of alternating rows…
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šŸ§¶Ann + Kay bust a knitting myth

Have you ever thought of knitters as lonely? In Knit Stars Masterclass Season 3, Ann + Kay of Modern Daily Knitting set out to bust a bunch of knitting mythsā€¦ Like ā€œYou must always finish what you start.ā€ And ā€œGarter stitch is boring.ā€ And ā€œKnitting is a lonely, solitary activity.ā€ I donā€™t know about you…
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Arne + Carlosā€™ mind-blowing tip šŸ¤Æ

Norwegian purl!Ā šŸ¤Æ A few years back when we debuted Knit Stars Masterclass Season 3, Arne + Carlos showed us how they make the Norwegian purl. And all around the world, knitters who had always been stumped by the continental purl said a collective ā€œOOOOH AAAAHHHHHHā€¦ā€ After all, lots of us love the continental knit stitch…
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šŸ§¶Caitlin’s tip + your perfect spring sweater

Have you ever knit a whole sweater in a weekend? Our new Knit Stars project manager, Sunnie, just finished this Brookline Blouse – inĀ two days! And, while we donā€™t recommend the circumstances that led to her speed-knitting this sweater, we do highly recommend the project. In fact, itā€™s leapfrogged straight to the front of my…
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šŸ§¶ GGā€™s tip: Bring an extra bag!

Click for a special message from GG. Longtime readers know, I opened our very first yarn shop 16 years ago with this idea I called the ā€œHot Loops Wall.ā€ After years of being frustrated, leaving yarn shops empty-handed because I couldnā€™t find cute project ideas to go with the yarnsā€¦ I thought, why not build…
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šŸ§¶ It was 3 years in the makingā€¦

It was 3 years ago, at Vogue Knitting Live 2019. Thatā€™s the last time that Gaye ā€œGGā€ Glasspie and Adella Colvin (@lolabeanyarnco) were together in the same room. For the past 3 years, nearly every day, theyā€™ve talked, texted or gone live together on Instagram. But the pandemic – and life – have kept them…
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šŸ§¶ Springā€™s ā€œitā€ top with Tamaraā€™s Tip

Donā€™t you just feel like dancing after that record-smashingĀ Hot Loops Wall Reveal?Ā šŸ’ƒ This community came forward in a BIG way to show love for the Iconic Orange Lady (and still is showing up!). GG admitted she was a little nervous that you wouldnā€™t embrace her ā€œorange-forwardā€ project wall – and youĀ showed up and showed out!!!…
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šŸ§¶ Your Season 7 Stars šŸ“£

Itā€™s Knit Stars teacher announcement day!Ā šŸ¤© We are ecstatic to finally be able to announce the names of our Season 7 Knit Stars. The theme for Season 7 is ā€œTexture + Wonder,ā€ and we canā€™t wait for these innovative, inspiring Stars to share their personal ā€œyarnstoriesā€ and workshops that will truly transform your knitting life.…
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šŸ§¶ Colorful Summer Knits ā˜€ļø

Building color palettes can be a learned skill, especially with colors you donā€™t typically wear. But have no fear; Beata Jezek from Season 2 of Knit Stars will help you gain confidence in your color pairing skills and give you the tools to create a stunning color palette for your next project! Photo byĀ @chrisstricktĀ on Ravelry.…
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šŸ§¶ A beautiful beach day!

Do you ever wish someone would throw you a knitting lifeline? Then youā€™re going to love this weekā€™s tip from Andrea Mowryā€™s Season 2 Knit Stars workshop. If youĀ ever find yourself getting a bit nervous with a new stitch or a long pattern repeat, worrying that you might have to frog it back, do yourself…
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šŸ§¶ Foolproof fair isle with Alexa

Trusting your gut can be hard. Especially when a Fair Isle project is on the lineā€¦ This week, Season 2 Star Alexa Ludeman of Tin Can Knits brings you a foolproof tip for making sure your colors have enough contrast to pop! Photo credit: Caitlin Hunter The best way to get good at Fair Isle…
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šŸ§¶ Go jogless with Veera!

If youā€™re like me, this time of year you find yourself putting aside those grey knits of winter, and reaching for all theĀ color! Whether youā€™re an experienced colorwork enthusiast, or youā€™re just looking to dip your toe into multi-color projects for the first time, stripes are a great way to goā€¦ And no one knows…
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šŸ§¶Andrea Mā€™s burrito trick

So, funny story.Ā  A few months back, I was scrolling the ā€˜gram when a photo of yarn stopped me in my tracks. It was a colorway inspired by the movie ā€œCoco.ā€ And Iā€™m not sure if it was my memories from the movie or the absolutely breathtaking depth and balance of that colorā€¦ But I…
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šŸ§¶ Hannahā€™s organization tips

If youā€™re like me, justĀ lookingĀ at cool storage solutions makes me feel calmerā€¦ So whether todayā€™s message inspires you to organize your needles and notions, or it just provides some eye candy for your Sunday, our mission will be accomplished. šŸ¤— Letā€™s get it rolling with thisĀ 3-minute video clipĀ with Hannah Thiessen from Knit Stars Season 4.…
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šŸ§¶The ā€œmissing linkā€ color

Do you ever find yourself in a color rut? Wishing you could push your own color envelopeā€¦but afraid to invest in the yarn without knowingĀ for sureĀ how it will turn out? It happens to all of us. Thereā€™s comfort in the familiar. And when weā€™re drawn to a project, itā€™s often because of the color. So…
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šŸ§¶Andrea’s colorwork tips

This is the ā€œdo what the Knit Star says, not what I doā€ edition. šŸ™ƒ In Season 3, Knit Star Andrea Rangel shared some simple, but critical stranded colorwork tips.Ā Watch this 2-minute clipĀ for her ā€œstop and spread,ā€ ā€œblock before you judgeā€ and most importantly, ā€œcolorwork gaugeā€ tips. In my defense, IĀ didĀ swatch before starting ā€œThe Owen…
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